Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-09
2003-02-18
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
C224S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520393
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cargo carriers which mount atop motor vehicles such as cars, passenger and utility vans, and over the cargo beds of pick-up trucks and the like; and which are commonly used to carry ladders, snow and water skis, snow boards, luggage, camping gear, pipe, small boats and the like positioned above the vehicle rooftop and exterior of the vehicle. The present invention includes a non-jamming or smooth operating tiltable cargo support platform preferably having an intermediate or non-edgeward rotational axis.
2. Description of the related Prior Art
The majority of in-use prior art rooftop-mount cargo carriers on land motor vehicles are mounted entirely stationary and generally centered from side to side on the exterior roof of the vehicle. Many such prior art stationary cargo carriers utilize the top of the vehicle as the platform upon which the cargo directly rests, and only provide elevated side rails for which to tie the cargo stationary with ropes, elastic cords or the like, while others provide a slightly raised but stationary platform or system of rails on which to rest and secure cargo. The stationary mounting of cargo carriers on vehicle rooftops creates weight limiting, reach and safety problems particularly on taller vehicles such as vans and all-terrain four wheel drive vehicles. Such vertically tall vehicles having stationary cargo carriers mounted atop the roof are extremely difficult to reach to load and unload cargo due to the height of the vehicle. The width of any land motor vehicle, even vertically low vehicles such as small cars, also makes loading cargo atop a stationary rooftop carrier difficult. To load or unload cargo from typical stationary prior art rooftop cargo carriers, particularly when mounted on taller vehicles, the user must generally find a ladder to stand on, or more commonly stand in an open doorway of the vehicle and hold-on to the vehicle or cargo rack with one hand to prevent falling, and load or unload cargo with the one free hand and arm. The one-handed loading procedure is not only somewhat awkward and unsafe due to the risk of slipping and injuring oneself, but has a tendency to limit, by the very nature of using one hand, the amount of weight which can be easily loaded.
Some prior art vehicle rooftop cargo carriers are designed to attempt to solve this “reach” problem associated with stationary rooftop cargo carriers by way of providing cargo support platforms which move atop lower stationary tracks or platform support bases. Such movable cargo support platforms typically tilt from a normally generally horizontal position downward into a tilted position along side the vehicle after being moved laterally outward relative to the vehicle and platform support base. With these tiltable prior art vehicle cargo carriers, the stationary support base is mounted stationary atop and normally generally centered on the vehicle exterior roof, and the movable cargo support platform slides or rolls relative to the support base, moving typically to one side of the vehicle to clear the vehicle side sufficiently to allow downward tilting of the cargo platform. It should be noted that in some of the prior art sliding cargo platforms, the support base can be positioned so that the platform moves toward the rear side of the vehicle. With some slidable and tiltable cargo carriers, the sliding and tiltable portion must move to the rear of the vehicle in order for the cargo support platform to be long enough to reach the ground, since if the movable cargo support platform were only the width of a vertically high vehicle then the platform would not be long enough to reach the ground unless complicated and more expensive telescopic structuring were provided, as is provided with some prior art structurings of vehicle cargo carriers.
A problem associated with many of these prior art laterally movable and tiltable cargo platforms for vehicles typically exist in the area pertaining to how they tilt after being moved laterally, or in other words, the location of the tilt pivot point (rotational axis) relative to the cargo carrying area of the cargo support platform. Usually the pivot point is located at the extreme upper edge of the cargo support platform on such prior art tilt-down vehicle cargo carriers when the cargo platform is in the fully tilted state. With cargo support platforms which pull outward and then tilt downward on an extreme endwardly positioned tilt or rotational axis, the user can stand in front of or to the side of the downward tilted cargo support platform and normally more easily attach cargo, however, if the cargo is of any significant weight, the user will then have a difficult task in lifting the cargo laden cargo support platform vertically to bring it to a horizontal elevated position prior to pushing the cargo support platform horizontally toward the center of the vehicle where the platform rests in a locked transport position atop the stationary base. This lifting or tilting back to horizontal of a cargo laden and downward tilted cargo support platform can be difficult for the user, depending upon the weight of the cargo and the height of the vehicle. The prior art pull-out and tilt down rooftop cargo carriers require the user to either significantly limit the weight loading on the cargo platform, or require the user to lift a substantial amount of weight. Also, usually, but not in all cases, in the related pullout and tilt prior art cargo carriers, the only stop or restricting means preventing further downward tilting of the cargo support platform is the lower end of the cargo platform resting on either the ground or abutting the side of the vehicle. With modern, lightweight fuel efficient vehicles, the body panels are thin and easily dented, and thus it is not a good idea to rely on the vehicle body panel or window to restrict the downward movement and angle of the cargo support platform, particularly if there is any significant amount of cargo weight upon the cargo support platform. With prior art cargo carriers which utilize the ground as an abutment surface to prevent further downward tilting of the cargo support platform, my experience is that in order for the cargo support platform to reach the ground, more complicated and expensive structuring allowing telescopic extending and retracting of the cargo support platform or support base or components connected thereto is required, and this is particularly true for vans and most four wheel drive vehicles which include a rather vertically high rooftop.
Another problem in prior art vehicle cargo carriers which include a stationary base and laterally movable and tiltable cargo support platform exists in the complexity of the structuring and the number of parts which increases the costs of manufacturing and ultimately the purchase price by consumers. Typically in the related prior art, many freely rotatable wheels are used in order to attempt to provide for jam-free easy rolling of the cargo support platform on the support base. While the use of wheels in such application can be somewhat effective to some degree, such wheels are costly to purchase, labor intensive to mount, subject to being damaged or having their support axles bent, and require periodic oiling and servicing.
Another problem in vehicle cargo carriers which include a stationary base and laterally movable and tiltable cargo support platform exists in the smoothness or ease at which the laterally movable cargo support platform can be manually slid or rolled upon the support base, as lateral racking (misalignment) of the cargo support platform relative to the support base and the resultant jamming (ceasing to move) is a significant potential problem in the prior art based on what I discovered in building and testing many different cargo carriers. Jamming of the cargo support platform while the user is pushing or pulling it laterally is frustrating in the least, often times requiring hard jerking and pushing and pulling to un-jam the cargo support platf
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